Door check and hold-open



Oct. 28, 1958 s. F. LoRlA DOOR CHECK AND HOLD-OPEN 3 sheets-sheet 1 Filed May 2'?. 1955 Attorney Oct. 28, 1958 s, pf-figomA 2,857,617

DOOR CHECK AND vHOLD-OPEN Filed May 27, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mill- Inventor Attorney od. 28, 195s s, F, ORIA 2,857,617

v nooR CHECK AND HOLD-OPEN Filed May 27. 19.55 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 7 Z/ *y K ya 37g /i Y if I 7 CZJA I I//v v Inventorl l /ma/efa v2,857,617 Doon CHECK HOLD-OPEN Samuel F. Loria, Dearborn, Mich.,'assignor to General Motors Corporation, DetroityMich., a Vcorporation of Delaware AppiicationMay 27, 1955,1Serial No. 511,633

Claims; (Cl. 16-85) `construction particularly designedfor `mass production techniques; a further feature of the invention is that the door check and hold-open `is so constructed thatit 'may be assembled on the door and'b'ody independently of the door hinge means and after the door has been vmounted on the body, thereby facilitating manufacture of the auto- `mobile; and still a further feature of the invention is that it provides a door check and h'oldmpen including a slotted check-linkhaving 4acam surface with a detent portion, and a hold-open lever having va follower riding upon the cam surface of'the link, abutment of the follower and detent portion of the cam 'surface providing a yield- `able hold-open, and engagement of the link Vmounting means with an endvwall of the slot providing a positive Vdoor check.

Other features and advantages ofthe invention will be apparent from the followingdescription and. from the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal section through a portion of an automobile body pillar and door showing the door check and hold-open Ain top plan viewas .the parts appear when the door is closed; Y Y

Fig.- 2 .is a section similar to Fig. 1 but with the door open;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

This door check and hold-open is particularly adapted for use in automobile bodies. Since the brackets, links and levers which comprise the door check and holdopen may all be formed as stamped parts, the device may be economically manufactured according to well known mass production techniques. The door check and hold-open may be mounted on the automobile after the door is hung, and the door check and hold-open is independent of the door hinging means so that manufacture of the automobile body is facilitated, one portion of the door check and hold-open being bolted to the door, another portion being bolted to the body pillar, and the portions being joined after the door is hingedly mounted on the body. After the door is mounted on the body, it may be swung to open position and a slotted link which is mounted on the door may be extended until it fits against a support bracket mounted on the body pillar.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, an automobile body is designated generally as and a door 11 is hingedly mounted on the body by any conventional hinge means (not shown) to swing between United Patent.

'janfb faceportion 21.

.2 A a closed position shown in Fig'. vl and an openpos'ition shown in Fig. 2. Thatportion of the body illustrated inFigs. 1,'2 and 3 includes a `body pillar having a'main `wall. portionlZ forming a door jamb and provided with Van opening 13. Inside the pillar there is` a reinforcing 'member 14 which' is secured by welding orother means "2-3 of the door' is connected by a pinch weld a'nge to abent lflange' 21a at the exterior side of the edge or On ,the interior of the door there is an 'innerreinforcement'member 25 which is channel shaped, having a-t`ransverse portion 26 facing .the door jamb and formed with an opening 27 aligned with the opening 2-2. Interiorly ofthe `door a bracket`28 is bolted 'to\'theinne`r reinforcement member'25 and a stud or lrivet 25 30 is: rigidly mountedl on this bracket.

Asv appears in Figs. l and3, the bracket 18 which is 4bolted to the body pillar projects into the interior of the 'door through the openingsV 22A and 27 'when the door is closed'.v At its yfreeend'this bracket is pivotally connected by a" rivet 31 to a check llink 32 which' projects into the interior' of the door'and which is formed with anelonga'te'd Slot 33 through which the stud 30jprojcts. The undersiirface -34 of the link 32 is formed 'as' aV curved cam surface, being concave in side elevationas the parts appear in'Figs. l and 2. This cam surface is formed with a detentV providing a shoulder35near the free end of the link 32, and the cam surface is stepped or' olfsetat 36 adjacent the free end of the link.

A `hold-open lever -38 is' pivotally mounted inside the door on the stud 30. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4,.th s'tu`d 3) has a flattened head 37o for holding the parts in position, and a spring washer 39 is located between the head 37a ofthe stud andthe hold-open leverj38. Intermediate its ends the hold-open lever 38 is formed with -an offset follower'40 which rides upon the cam surface v34 of the link. lA coil spring 41 yieldably urges the follower 40 into engagement with the cam surface 34, one end of the spring being connected to an ear 42 at the free end of the hold-open lever and the other end of the spring being connected to an ear 43 on the bracket 2S. y

As shown in Fig. l, the slot 33 extends toward the pivoted facturng variations in the parts of the door check and hold-open and in the automobile body and door construction. When the door is swung'from the closed position of Fig. l to the open position of Fig. 2, the stud 30 rides along the slot 33 and the follower 40 rides along the cam surface 34 and over the detent 35 into the offset portion 36 of the -carn surface. Because of the yieldable pressure of the spring 41, abutment of the follower 40 with the detcnt shoulder 35 provides a yieldable hold-open. If the door is swung past the yieldable hold-open position of Fig. 2, the stud abuts the end of the slot 33, thus providing a positive doo-r check.

When the door is swung shut with suicient force to overcome the spring, the follower 40 rides over the dctent and along the curved cam surface 34.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is capable of many modifications. Changes, therefore, in the construction and arrangement "Patented Vct. 28, v1.915,8

end of the link 32 beyond the location of the stud 30 .y when the door is closed in order to compensate for manu- Velongated slot, said link having a cam surface with a rounded detent portion for providing a yieldable holdopen; means connecting said link to the pillar for pivotal 'movement about a fixed axis; a stud mounted inside the door, said link extending into the interior of the door and the vstud projecting through said slot, engagement of the stud with an end wall of the slot when the door is fully open providing a positive door check; a hold-open lever pivotally mounted inside said door, said lever having a follower riding upon the cam surface of the link; and spring means yieldably urging said follower into engagement with said cam surface, abutment of the follower and detent portion of the camsurface when the door is partialf ly open providing a yieldable hold-open.

2. In a vehicle body construction having door and body pillar members, a door check and hold-open of the character described, including: a check link formed with an elongated slot, said link having a cam surface with a detent portion for providing a yieldable hold-open; means connecting said link to the pillar for pivotal movement about a fixed axis; a stud mounted inside the door and projecting through said slot, engagement of the stud with an end wall of the slot when the door is fully open providing a positive door check; a hold-open lever pivotally mounted on said stud, said lever having a follower riding upon the cam surface of the link; and spring means yieldably urging saidfollower into engagement with said cam surface, abutment of the follower and detent portion of the cam surface when the door is partially open providing a yieldable hold-open.

3. In a vehicle body construction having door and body pillar members, a door check and hold-open of the character described, including: a bracket mounted on one member; a check link formed with an elongated slot, said linkhaving a cam surface with a detect portion for providing a yieldable hold-open; means connecting said link to said bracket for pivotal movement about a fixed axis; a bracket mounted on the other member; a stud mounted on said last-mentioned bracket and projecting through said slot, engagement of the stud with an end wall of the slot when` the door is fully open providing a positive door check; a hold-open lever pivotally mounted on said stud, said lever having a follower riding upon the cam surface of the link; and spring means yieldably urging said follower into engagement with said cam-surface, abutment of the follower and detent portion of the cam sur-` face when the door is partially open providing a yieldable hold-open.

4. In a vehicle body construction having door and body pillar members, a door check and hold-open ofthe character described, including: a bracket mounted on the pillar and projecting into the interior of the door when the door is closed; a check link formed with an elongated slot, saidV link having a cam surface with a detent portion for providing a yieldable hold-open; means connecting said link to said bracket for pivotal movement about a fixed axis;

a bracket mounted on the interior of the door; a stud mounted on said last-mentioned bracket and projecting` through said slot, engagement of the stud with an end wall of the slot when the door is fully open providing a positive door check; a hold-open lever pivotally mounted interiorly of the door, said lever having a follower riding upon the cam surface of the link; and spring means yieldably urging said follower into engagement with said cam surface, abutment ofthe follower and detent portion of the cam surface when the door is partially open providing a yieldable hold-open.

5. In av vehicle body construction having door and body pillar members, a door check and hold-open of the character described, including: a bracket mounted on the pillar and projecting into the interior of the door when the door is closed; a check link formed with an elongated slot, said link having a curved cam surface with a detent portion for providing a yieldable hold-open; means connecting said link to said bracket for pivotal movement about a tixed axis; a bracket mounted on the interior of the door;

, a stud mounted on said last-mentioned bracket and projecting through said slot, engagement of the stud with an` end wall of the slot when thedoor is fully open providing a positive door check; a hold-open lever pivotally mounted on said stud, said lever having a follower riding upon the cam surfaceofthe link; and `spring means yieldably urging said follower into engagement with said cam sur-` face, abutment of the follower and detent portion of the cam surface when the door is partially open providing a yieldable hold-open.

References Cited in the le of this patent ,aw-Luse.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.7 Zy'yl? October- 28, 1958 Samuel El Lorie It is hereby certified that error appears in theprinted specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3y line 42, for "a detect portionH read e a detent por-tion Signed and sealed this 26th day of May 1959.,

(SEAL) Attest:

KARL H AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSON Attesting Oiflcer Commissioner of Patents 

